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Lately my strength has been going down for some reason..I can barely squat 5x5 with weight 50 lbs less than I was before..I feel exhausted after one set and never really hungry anymore. A few weeks a ago I took a deload and came back feeling great..then a few weeks in just burnt out and started getting weaker on all lifts. Should I deload again and reset all my weights lower? I feel like I shouldn't be needin to deload this often...i train full body 3x a week and have been running the icf 5x5 program a while which I have been having great results on until recently. Ever go through a rut like this? What did you do?

How long have you been on this routine? What is your main goal to build strength and muscle? You don't mention anything about nutrition how does it look eating enough to keep up with this type of program?

__________________Itís not about the amount of sets and reps you do, itís about how much effort you put into each set

Yeah, answer the questions above. You're having recovery issues. Tell us about your goals, your current stats, and your current diet. How is your sleep? What else has changed in your life? How has your emtional health been lately (How are you feeling in general)?

In addition to the above, ICF 5x5 is a shitload of volume equating to lots of time in the gym. I'm aware of the program's success rate but 1.25-1.5 hours in the gym with 3 big lifts each and a bunch of accessory work is cringe-worthy.

In addition to the above, ICF 5x5 is a shitload of volume equating to lots of time in the gym. I'm aware of the program's success rate but 1.25-1.5 hours in the gym with 3 big lifts each and a bunch of accessory work is cringe-worthy.

Getting weaker isn't going to be fixed by a new playlist, lol. Sounds to me like his CNS is not keeping up with his training, but this is rarely based purely on training alone. I bet we'll find out that there's more here than meets the eye.

I do love me some youtube motivation though! I've resorted to that on many occasions where I just couldn't get going.

Getting weaker isn't going to be fixed by a new playlist, lol. Sounds to me like his CNS is not keeping up with his training, but this is rarely based purely on training alone. I bet we'll find out that there's more here than meets the eye.

I do love me some youtube motivation though! I've resorted to that on many occasions where I just couldn't get going.

You never know, the decrease in GAINZ may be due to a playlist rife with Avril Lavigne and Miley Cyrus

What is your daily calorie intake, and your current height and weight?

5 7 and 160 lbs now and noticed my weight going down the past couple weeks while still eating around the same calories 3000 to 3500...meaning I shoot for hitting at least 3000 a day and no more than 3500.

5 7 and 160 lbs now and noticed my weight going down the past couple weeks while still eating around the same calories 3000 to 3500...meaning I shoot for hitting at least 3000 a day and no more than 3500.

How much sleep are you getting, and what's the quality of your sleep? How do you feel in general? Has anything changed in your life lately? Also, how are those calories split up between proteins, carbs, and fats?

What are you goals when it comes to weights training, Mrinda? Are you working towards powerlifting (or another strength competition thing), competing in actual bodybuilding (or other physique comps), aiming for more strength because why not, or just building muscle for overall size/aesthetics?

Or some combination of course. Or something else altogether! But the reason I ask is, it might help to get back to your original motivation for weights training, and focus on that again, possibly even with a view to tailoring your approach thereto.